Taunting
by Lolita Toxica
Summary: Without Bedlam, the Dojo wouldn't have been created. Accidental sequel to Ruined Emotions. EdDeets and BurnFizz.


_**Taunting**_

_**A/N:**_ I don't own _Get Ed_. There aren't many stories with Bedlam here. This like a tribute to him. Why would I do that? Without Bedlam, there wouldn't have been Dojo, for starters. Dojo was started to stop Bedlam. Without Bedlam, the couriers wouldn't have met each other. Without Bedlam, we couldn't have shipping wars (oh, they'll come, just wait). We couldn't write Ed/Deets, Burn/Fizz, Ed/Fizz, whatever shipping you like. There more reasons, but then I couldn't start the story, would I?

* * *

_**Taunt**__** (tônt, tänt): **__to reproach scornfully or sarcastically, mock. A scornful or jeering remark. Insult, mockery, jibe, ridicule.

* * *

_

Red eyes stared at an unconscious old man's body. He tapped his fingers at the giant blue, white and gray machine that had transported them. He was sitting on the mysterious machine. Where they were, he did not know.

"Ed will pay for this," he said to the unconscious man. "Looks like you couldn't support the trip. Good thing I changed my DNA and look and be as young as Ed."

The man did not move.

"How long did it take you to build Ed? Days? Weeks? Months?"

The man still did not move.

"It took you years to build him, didn't it?"

The man showed signs of movement. His breathing was hard.

"How many years?" he taunted.

The man still lay down, not daring to move.

"Thirteen years of your life you dedicated to create Ed, Anthony."

Anthony relaxed his breathing.

"It takes years to create a city, but it only takes hours to destroy it." It was his favorite metaphor. "And I've taken that metaphor literally, haven't I?"

He did not answer.

"How long did it take you to create the Dojo? Picking out adolescents whom I changed their lives for the worst must've taken very long. Finding the ones who would risk their lives—the brave ones—must've taken even more time. Not everyone would do what your Dojo has done."

"I know," Anthony answered. "And I'm proud of them, Bedlam."

"Well, well, well, the silent has spoken." He smiled evilly at the old man. "Did I ever tell you that I know your Dojo members, Ol' Skool?"

His blue eyes grew wide. "What?!" He sat up as best as he could.

"Oh yes. From the eldest to the youngest, I know them all. Their names and aliases, addresses, where some of them _used_ to live," he chuckled evilly at the last phrase. "The eldest was the one who lost everything, am I right?"

Ol' Skool finally looked at Bedlam. The dirty smirk on his face made him angry. _'Bedlam really does know about them. They weren't safe after all.'_

"His alias: Burn, from the burn mark on his back from what I did to his neighborhood. Oh, I remember him from four years ago. One of the hardest destruction I had to do because the people there didn't move out when I told them. They must've not said anything to their children because they were surprised when they saw the who-bots there." Bedlam gave a small laugh of pleasure. "When the who-bots started to destroy the houses, everyone ran in fear, except for those who fought back. Men, a few women, young adults and thirteen-year-old—"

"_Don't_ say their names," Ol' Skool sighed.

"Very well. It's not polite to mix their names with their past," he said half-sarcastically and he continued. "And thirteen-year-old Burn. Whatever they could find, they used it as a weapon. It was then when one of the who-bots threw a plasma bomb and threw it very far, where they were no humans. The bomb exploded and destroyed a very large part of the neighborhood, including the Dojo Leader's house. Burn was somewhat close to the energy blast of the bomb that the heat, fire and rubble burned his back."

"I know. The mark won't leave. It's permanent, thanks to you."

"While he was on the ground after the energy blast had burned him, with painful tears in his eyes, he said that one day I'll be defeated. His orange eyes were red. One of the destroyed who-bots was next to him and the camera was still activated and gave me an image. How is he now?"

"I don't know. After you left, he must be somewhat happy."

* * *

"_Nah. We all have ruined emotions and we can't escape from them if we part ways. Do you want to talk 'bout _your_ ruined emotions to me over dessert? We can leave the guys right after dinner."_

_"Sure. I'd like that a lot,"_ she remembered her own answer.

But she was starting to feel that it was a completely bad idea.

Fizz liked that she was alone with him, that they were walking side-by-side, and that they talked. When they found an ice creamery, he said that he was not hungry and bought her something to eat. They left the place and started to talk.

_"Ladies first."_

_"What?"_

_"Talk to me 'bout your ruined emotions."_

_"Why don't you start? You should have at least some."_

And she was right; he had "some" ruined emotions from years ago. And they were very painful. His own house and neighborhood were destroyed, thanks to Bedlam. What he had gained from that? A burn mark on his back and a new and darker personality.

She nibbled a little of her ice cream and then licked her lips. "How big is the burn?"

"I don't know, I don't like to see it in the mirror. Reminds me too much," Burn said, almost in a whisper.

"Did you take some meds for it after it happened?"

"Yeah, but it only stopped the burning and the stinging."

Fizz nibbled once again. "Can I see it?"

He blush a little bit and then shook his head. "No."

"Please, can I see it?"

"No," his voice grew louder.

"Okay," Fizz sighed. "Guess you win." She went silent.

Burn became unease with the awkward silence. "Okay!"

"What?"

"You can see it."

"In the middle of a destroyed street?"

"At least it's empty," he said. The Dojo Leader looked around until he saw a boulder. He sat on it and waited for the girl. When she failed to respond back, he called her. "What're you waiting for, Fizz?"

"Have you ever taken someone else's shirt from the back with ice cream on one hand? No? Then stop rushing me." She gave him her ice cream. Then she smirked. "_Or_ do you want me to take your uniform off just—"

"Do all preteens these days are as dirty-minded as you?"

"I was just joking," she said as she touched his back as an inspection. Even with clothes on, it felt rough and slightly dry. Fizz raised the back of his courier uniform and saw his back.

He blushed as she touched his bare back with her exposed fingers. Burn had never felt that type of caress on his injury before. It made him feel… pleased with it.

Her fingers danced along his back, touching the burned scars and darkened skin. She started to feel sad for his past ordeal and the permanent mark it left on his life. _'But because of Bedlam, he became a Dojo courier, our leader and friend and… my lover.'

* * *

_

Ol' Skool stood up and brushed away the dirt he had on his clothes. "So what do ya wanna do? Torture me and then we leave to see where we are?"

"Anthony, you know me better than that," Bedlam said in a sarcastic surprise tone. "Of course I would! You already know that I know Sarah—oh! I mean Deets." He smiled evilly as Ol' Skool glared at him. "That I captured her parents when she was in school, that she went to find them and got caught by me, that to keep them safe she was forced to do my bidding. You know all of that, Ol' Skool."

"Yeah, and I know that when she came to the Dojo, I caught her and saved her and her parents."

* * *

"Where are they?" Deets said as she looked around the destroyed street.

"Burn—"

"Must've taken her to see if her parents were alright," Loogie said as he cut off Dr. Pinch and put his hand on the puppet's mouth so he would not talk. He believed that Burn had taken Fizz somewhere to talk about what she had confessed in the street close to the Dojo.

"Sounds like that might be the case, but why didn't they told us that?" said Ed as he looked at Loogie. "Fizz would've told us."

When the pair was not looking, Loogie lowered his face in defeat. They had a good point, but he had to hide the fact that Fizz had confessed her love to Burn randomly. Those two were his partners-in-crime when Ed and Deets are out doing who-knows-what.

"I hate it when they keep secrets from us!" Deets exclaimed at the two boys.

Loogie hated what was he about to do, but it was the only way he could hide Fizz's secret; he released Dr. Pinch's mouth. "And you kept a secret from us!"

She looked at Dr. Pinch, almost hurt by his sentence. "It wasn't my intention!" She glared at Loogie, who shook his head and pointed at the puppet. He has never done the talking for his friend; he speaks and thinks alone. "If I told you, then you've been part of it as well."

"Please Deets, calm down," Ed said. "Part of what?"

"If you guys knew my secret when Bedlam was here, he'd capture you like he did to Ed when we were at the Stomp. He would've captured you guys, make you do stuff and maybe probe your brains for any info on Ed."

"We would've betrayed the Dojo and not know it," Ed whispered to himself.

"We're safe… for now." Deets continued to walk in the empty street. Loogie and Ed right behind her.

* * *

"The middle member, Loogie, is it? Does he have a mental disorder?" Bedlam grinned evilly.

"He didn't have one, but he does now, thanks to you," Ol' Skool groaned. The silence between them had broken once again. They were walking in a deserted forest just next to where they had been with the Machine.

"What? I was bored." Bedlam looked up. It was getting dark so they had to keep moving faster before they had to sleep on the forest. "But I must remind you it's not my fault."

"But it was _your_ robot that worked that ride so it was _your_ responsibility."

"Maybe it had a malfunction. It's inhumane—even for me, mind you—to leave a ride running for two _days_! _Two_, Anthony! I can claim responsible for Burn's injury and kidnapping Deets, but _that_ is not _my _fault!"

"Fine, fine…" mumbled Ol' Skool. "Whatever keeps you moving, Bedlam." It was silent once again.

* * *

_Around and around and around and around he went. Who could stop him? No one… no one could, because no one was there to save him. So he still went around and around and around…_

"Stop thinking that, Loogie," Dr. Pinch said to him. "I'm getting dizzy…"

_…And around and around…_

"Loogie?" He looked sort of unhappy for the catfish puppet.

_…And around and around…_

Almost kind of depressed.

_…And around and around…_

"Loogie! Snap outta it!" He looked at the two couriers, they still had not noticed.

_No one helped… no one came… no one knew…_

"Guys! Little help here! He's gone to a really bad flashback!"

Ed and Deets looked back. Loogie was standing there, just staring down at the street. They ran towards him.

_And when someone finally noticed…_

"Loogie! Snap outta it!" they called.

_It was too late… it was simply too late…_

"Loogie!" Dr. Pinch had one last thing to do when this happened. He punched Loogie's face with his own.

_He had lost consciousness. He was no feed for two days. He grew a mental disorder. So to control it, the doctor—whose hobby was being a puppet maker—created a catfish puppet doctor from a sock and gave it to the patient. The kid called him Dr. Pinch._

"This time is different!" Loogie shouted randomly. His friends had noticed just in time.

"You're right about that," Dr. Pinch chuckled. He looked at the two couriers. "Thanks guys!"

Loogie and Dr. Pinch started to talk amongst themselves as Ed and Deets looked at them confused. _'What has just happened?'_

Because of Bedlam, Loogie and Dr. Pinch met.

* * *

"So…"

"Bedlam, I never knew you could be so annoying!"

"Because I get bored easily and I don't have Crouch or Kora here to speak to. You're too kind," Bedlam chuckled.

"Now I have a question for you. What have you done with _our _decoder?"

"Other than learning new languages and trying to learn the aliens language, nothing much." Bedlam put his hands behind his neck.

"And you didn't learn to talk animal?" Ol' Skool said sarcastically.

"Very funny, Anthony," Bedlam replied dryly and he glared the old man.

"Not only was that a joke; because if you did, we could ask something around here where's the city."

"The city is in this direction. Remember, I have Ed's powers."

"Slightly."

"What?" The "teen" stopped on his tracks and looked at Ol' Skool.

"You're losing 'em. The Machine sucked some outta you and Ed from when we were transported here. Likely it's still doing it right this moment between you and Ed."

* * *

_'Why am I feeling so weak?'_ thought Ed. _'I already lost all of my powers to the Machine… right?'_

"Burn! Fizz!" Deets called in the empty street.

"Burn! Fizz! Stop playing around!" Dr. Pinch shouted.

"Burn! Fizz! Fire! Water! Yin! Yang!" exclaimed Loogie.

The two couriers and the puppet looked at him confused.

"They don't come with their names. So let's try something different."

"Heh, the kid makes sense," the catfish puppet nodded.

"No, he doesn't," Ed said. "Wouldn't it be better to call them with their real names? Y'know, they get pissed off and they run to us and try to kill us."

"Now _that_ makes sense, but one little itty bitty problem," said Deets.

"We don't know their real names!" shouted Loogie and Dr. Pinch.

Ed was not going to give up on his idea that easily. "Hey Torch."

The pink fireball AI appeared in front of them. "What's wrong, man?"

"Do you know the Dojo's real names?"

Torch shook his head. "Ol' Skool never let me that close to that data. If I was stolen, you guys might've been in some serious problems, like identity theft."

Ed sighed. "Well, thanks anyway."

Torch looked around. "Hey, where's Burn and Fizz?"

"They went missing—" Ed was cut off by a small pain and he went down to the ground. His eyes grew wide.

_Bedlam was on the ground in a darkening forest. Close to him was Ol' Skool. Bedlam's eyes were also wide, meaning he was having a vision of Ed. "The powers of the Machine have faded completely," he managed to say._

_"Told ya so," Ol' Skool said to him_

Deets and Loogie kneeled down to him as Ed's vision had stopped. "You okay, Ed?" Deets asked, worried about her friend.

"Just another vision. Ol' Skool and Bedlam are in a forest right now. Bedlam was doing the same as me and he said that the powers of the Machine have faded completely."

"So _now_ you lost all of your powers?"

"Guess so…" But Ed noticed something. Without Bedlam, he could not have gotten those powers in the first place. He would not have save Progress City from Bedlam without… Bedlam. He would not have been created or been a member of the Dojo without Bedlam becoming a threat.

* * *

"You can't fly, you can't do most attacks, you've lost your powers," Ol' Skool explained as Bedlam stood up.

"I saw your couriers. Ed also lost his powers with me. Seems that they are looking for two of them: Burn and Fizz."

"Why would they go missing?" The old man started to walk the forest once again.

"Fizz worries much about her family since those few incidents when she was younger."

"Thanks to you," Ol' Skool reminded him.

"How old is she now?"

"You should know, old _friend_."

"Of course I know. She's eleven, starting sixth grade in September and graduating next year in May from Progress Elementary. She's too smart to be in the sixth grade, why hasn't someone moved her up?"

"She already socializes with teenagers…"

"But does she socializes with children her own age?"

Ol' Skool frowned.

"I guess not. Being raised the way she was has its disadvantages."

"Thanks to you."

"Thanks to me." Bedlam nodded. "Stealing from her parents never got old. There was always something new to steal."

* * *

"_Nah. We all have ruined emotions and we can't escape from them if we part ways. Do you want to talk 'bout _your_ ruined emotions to me over dessert? We can leave the guys right after dinner,"_ he remembered his words from hours ago.

_"Sure. I'd like that a lot,"_ and her response.

But he was starting to feel like it was a completely bad idea.

Burn liked that he was alone with her—it was strange, but he liked it—that they had walked side-by-side, and that they had talked.

_"Ladies first," he had told her._

_"What?"_

_"Talk to me 'bout your ruined emotions."_

_"Why don't you start? You should have at least some."_

And he had… and very painful as a fact: physically, mentally and emotionally. When he was thirteen, he had lost everything and gained a permanent injury and new and darker personality. Fizz had just asked him to see the mark on his back and he refused twice. After giving up on her request and growing uneasy with the silence, he let the girl see the mark on his back.

_"Okay, I told you mine, now tell me yours," Burn had said as he pulled his shirt down from behind his back with one hand and gave Fizz her ice cream back with the other._

_"Already?" She nibbled her ice cream once again. "Don't you have anything else to say?"_

_"No," he said._ 'For now anyway.'

Hiding behind that short red hair, rare forest green eyes and young face was a damaged past without repair. When she was young, her family—very prestigious because of their known jobs as engineer and volcanologist—has been robbed many times by Bedlam's robots. Fizz told him she had learned many things about robots because she had seen them in her own house while she tried to sleep as a kid. She even spoke to one or two while trying to steal.

* * *

_"What're you doin'?" she asked a slim robot._

_"What're ya doin' awake?" The robot had a New Yorker accent._

_"You woke me up." She smiled as she sat up from her bed._

_"Go ta sleep, kid. It's too early ta be wakin' up."_

_"But it's too late to be stealing, Mr. Robot."_

_The robot closed his eyes in annoyance. "How do ya know?"_

_"I see robots almost every night. My mom says that Bedlam has been stealing our weapons usin' robots to do his dirty work."_

_"So what's it to ya, kid?"_

_"Doesn't he know that those weapons will belong to me when I'm older?"_

_"Look, I shouldn't even be talkin' to ya—"_

_"Do you have friends?"_

_The robot looked down at her. "Why?"_

_"I don't. Too many kids are either 'fraid of me 'cause they say that robots will start stealin' from 'em if I hang 'round 'em. Others say I'm a freak 'cause I know a lot."_

_"Knowing is a good think, kid. Makes ya aware of everything good or bad. You'll find a friend soon enough. Now go ta sleep!" The robot walked away. He glanced at the young girl staring at him and continued on around the house.

* * *

_

_'Heh, listening to that robot might be the best thing that ever happened,'_ she thought as she remembered when she was four.

"But why do your parents make weapons? Isn't that a little far away from their actual work?" Burn asked her as they continued to walk side-by-side.

"Yeah, but Dad suggested it since he needed a way to defend himself and his team if a volcano erupted when they were investigating. Soon it became a small hobby for them. They said that when I got older, I can have all their weaponry and I can create some." She chuckled. "They didn't know I would make my first weapon when I became ten."

"Or get a job at eleven." Burn looked at her as she looked at him in shock. "I guessed…"

"You better have," she muttered as her head fell down.

"What else did Bedlam stole from you?"

"Hundreds of cred on tools, almost millions of cred on our weapons, detection devices, few art works, jewelry and books."

"Couldn't you just move outta the sector?"

"Don't you think we did?" Fizz shot a glare at him. "Bedlam knew and still knows where we are. He'd know when I was at school, when my dad was away or even when Mom had been called for work. We were his weaponry makers."

"Did he steal something from you?"

"Yeah…" she sighed. "My chance of having a social life. I never got friends—"

She was cut off by Burn, who had started to laugh out of the sudden.

"What? It's true!" she said half-insulted. "They thought I was cursed or something!"

"Sorry…" he said as he controlled his laughter. "You just don't get it, do you?"

"What?"

"That's the least Bedlam stole from—"

"You _really_ don't get it. I never got friends because they thought they would get stolen from next. And the fact that I was very smart wasn't making it any better."

Burn became silent for a few minutes, as the young girl got angry. Not with him, but with herself. Her head fell down. Her bangs covered her closed and watery eyes. A few tears fell on the dusty street, as her face got redder of anger and sadness.

She closed her hands, like she had the snow white rose with her again, but she was not silent. Her breathing turned into pants and smallish wails. _'Why… Why?'_ She fell on the street. "Why?!"

For the first time ever, Burn saw the calm preteen's temper leave her. It was like she had lost someone very close to her without even meeting that someone first.

"I tried to be as normal as I could to these problem! Even try to forget them, but _they_ kept reminding me every time I was close to them! I tried to be polite to them! I tried everything I could to make them stop! Nothing! _Nothing worked!_ I was an outcast to them!" It hurt him to see Fizz that way, but he had to, it was her turn. "Destined to be alone…" she whispered to herself.

_'That's it!'_ Burn grabbed her from the ground. She squirmed a few times so she could not be grabbed, and it was successful for her because she was still on the ground. _'Why is she acting so much—'_

"Like a child?" she said as she panted.

"How'd you—"

"I just know…" Fizz continued to cry. It pained her to talk once again.

The Dojo Leader finally had the opportunity to talk. "Bedlam never stole your friends. We're your friends… I'm your friend, aren't I?"

_'Yes.'_

"Fizz, aren't I your friend?" He kneeled down to her and looked at her for a few seconds. It pained him so much to see her that way. She had never shown her weak side to anyone. For what he knew, she was strong, mentally and emotionally strong. _'This isn't the Fizz I know. This girl is her past self.'_ He kissed her cheek as a way to calm her down.

"You… are," she whispered to him. _'But I want something more than friendship with you.'_

For a second time, Burn tried to grab her and for his surprise, she let herself be grabbed and carried like a child or baby. Their bodies pressed each other as she cried on his shoulder. "It just took you a longer time to find us, that's all." He remembered what she was also crying about. "Knowing is a good thing, Fizz. Doesn't make you weird if you start knowing in your childhood, but it makes you different. Makes you aware—"

"Of what's good and what's bad," Fizz finished. "One of Bedlam's robbing robots told me that one night. Might have been the best thing a robot ever told me."

"One of Bedlam's robots told you that?" Burn said surprised.

"I think it weird myself now." She giggled and she hugged the teen. "Thanks for listening to me."

_'Music to my ears.'_ He hugged her back. "That's what friends are for." Burn kissed her cheek once again, earning a sigh from her. _'She really is in love with me.'_

Fizz broke their embrace and looked at him right in the eye. "Y'know, you're not half bad as my friend."

He smiled. "So, what do you want me to be?"

_'I wanted you to kiss me, not to ask me that!'_ She did not wanted to answer that. "Uh…"

"C'mon Fizz, I know you can say it."

"My…"

"Say it." Burn had no choice. He started to tickle her sides. "I know you can do it."

She laughed and he liked it. The sad atmosphere they had was gone. Fizz could not take it anymore. "My… my… my boyfriend!"

He stopped as he got his answer. "I'll do it, if you become my girlfriend."

She placed her face close to his, her arms on his neck and her hands on his back, touching the hidden injury. "What's a boyfriend without his girl?"

The teen made his move. He pressed his lips on hers.

"Unhappy," they heard a voice tell them. Burn and Fizz knew who it was, but they did not bother, they were enjoying themselves.

"Well, at least we found 'em," Loogie said to Dr. Pinch. He looked behind and saw that Ed and Deets were still kissing. They had been there since they saw Burn and Fizz hug each other. Before Burn had stopped tickling the girl, the two couriers had started to kiss.

"You know what, Loogie," said Dr. Pinch. "You need to find yourself a girlfriend."

"Nah, I heard they whine a lot and ask for lots of stuff."

"That's a _wife_, Loogie! The thing after fiancées, which is the thing after boyfriends and girlfriends."

* * *

_**"This is DJ Dive with a few announcements. All people who live in the destroyed sectors have to move for a while to the non-destroyed sectors. Why do I say this? Because there's a rumor going 'round here 'bout moving to another nation or to Denmark. Not true. Progress City has space for everyone. Heh, it was like the city was prepared for these types of things.**_

_**"And as a small note is this: after destruction, comes romance. Heh, that note is for you, Dojo."**_

**

* * *

**

"Well, we made it," Ol' Skool said as he passed his arm on his forehead to get rid of some sweat. He looked at the town that was in front of them. "Say, Bedlam. Have you been to this place before?"

Bedlam's red eyes scanned the town. _'It's a mix between the past and the present.'_ It was a small town, the house looked like the ones that people would have seen two hundreds years or so, but they had a modern flair to them. "No."

"And if we talk to one of 'em and if they talk another language, will you translate?"

"For my own sake."

"_Sure._"

"What is that suppose to mean?"

"Nothin'."

"It _should_ be for my own sake. Remember Ol' Skool, if it was not for me, the Dojo would've not been created to destroy _me_."

"True, but it still doesn't hide the fact that you destroyed their lives in a different way."

"Might as well remind you that I also created a new path in their lives."

Ol' Skool sighed defeated. "Fine, you win. You've sarcastically beaten me for now."

Bedlam smiled. "Good to know."

* * *

**_A/N:_** Yes, if you have taken notice, this is the sequel to _Ruined Emotions_. It wasn't until I decided to put Dojo after each of Ol' Skool and Bedlam's "stories" on the crew.

Burn and Loogie's stories are true ones from two web pages (now one considering the Toon Disney Media Network page took it off that part of information). Burn really lost his home and neighborhood (doesn't explain how so I created one) and Loogie really lost his mind in a motion ride for two days in the city fair (I made up the doctor thing and how he got Dr. Pinch). And you know about Deets already, but I added a few details of my own. Fizz's hate to Bedlam really isn't clear (saying that her defining reason constantly changes), so I did something involving her family (because of all the couriers, her family is most talked about) and their ingenuity.

Since the age/grade school and time to start and finish school-thing changes wherever you are, I dunno what the heck I did to Fizz and her education (does she need one anyway? She could be a teacher for all we know).

Like I said right from the beginning, this is why Bedlam should be appreciated. Without him, the Dojo couriers wouldn't have been motivated to help Ol' Skool create the Dojo and help defend the city. And looking at this last scene of this story, Ol' Skool also noticed that.

Loogie and Dr. Pinch's part in that last scene was inspired by Spazzel in dA. I'm doing a request for her that involves Loogie finding a girl.

Enjoy!


End file.
